Author Topic: Support for Raising Spirited Babies  (Read 95026 times)

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Offline maman_d_emily

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Re: Support for Raising Spirited Babies
« Reply #165 on: January 17, 2008, 11:07:27 am »
hi and welcome jabuti,
I'm happy that BW is helping you.  You will see that things will continue to improve as you continue with the routine.  :)
Annie
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Offline jabuti

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Re: Support for Raising Spirited Babies
« Reply #166 on: January 17, 2008, 16:16:31 pm »
hi annie, thank you!

her naps are still lasting only 40 min or so, we spend another 30 minutes trying to get her back to sleep. she is calm during nap times. but bedtime is the hardest for us: goes down easily at 6h30, wakes up one hour later, then we have 2 hours crying session until she can settle herself back to sleep. its very stressful for all of us, embracing myself for tonight!!!

Offline maman_d_emily

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Re: Support for Raising Spirited Babies
« Reply #167 on: January 17, 2008, 17:35:23 pm »
It is hard but it will get better.  Keep at it.  Lots of hugs!  Did you try wake to sleep for naps and also in the evening, this sometimes help.  Also, maybe she is OT - what her awake time?
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Offline jabuti

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Re: Support for Raising Spirited Babies
« Reply #168 on: January 17, 2008, 21:18:36 pm »
we are almost 100% that she is overtired. from what i read, 30/40 min naps are no good for babies.

our routine is, since sunday: wake up at 6 am and bed at 6h30 pm (in between is just what BW suggested). the problem is her naps that only last 30/40 min and at bedtime, she sleeps from 6h30 to 7h30, cries from 7h30 to 9/9h30, then back to sleep. dreamfeed at 11 and around 4 am. since we started this routine she is waking up less and less... but the hardest part is the 7h30 to 9 bit, with the crying. after that, if she wakes up again is just a matter of popping the dummy back in and thats it.

what is 'wake to sleep'? 

Offline maman_d_emily

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Re: Support for Raising Spirited Babies
« Reply #169 on: January 17, 2008, 23:46:49 pm »
wake to sleep is a way to extend naps - the information is on FAQ in naps.  If it is only 30 min, then she is overtired (OT).  So try to put her to have less awake time before the naps and see if that help.  It might take some time to have the good timing.  Sometimes they are tired even if they don't have any signs.  Something that did help me was to write down everything - when she was napping, how long, was it difficult to fall asleep.  With that you might see that she sleep longer with x amount of awake time. 
Her crying at 7:30 is probably because she is OT and with longer naps, this might go away.  Unless you think that she might have some kind of discomfort (teething, solid that she is having problem with).
Annie
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Offline JulieNG

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Re: Support for Raising Spirited Babies
« Reply #170 on: January 18, 2008, 02:22:21 am »
How do I know if my baby is spirited, touchy, etc? I can't seem to find where I find this out! TIA

Offline jabuti

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Re: Support for Raising Spirited Babies
« Reply #171 on: January 18, 2008, 09:45:26 am »
im going to read it right now annie, thank you! i have ruled out solids, teething. hopefully i can extend her naps. and i've been writing down everything too.  ;)

Offline maman_d_emily

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Re: Support for Raising Spirited Babies
« Reply #172 on: January 18, 2008, 10:16:52 am »
JulieNG, it is written in the book but you can also find it in FAQ in EASY (The BW "know your baby quiz"). 
jabuti, hope the wake to sleep will help.

Annie
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Offline maman_d_emily

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Re: Support for Raising Spirited Babies
« Reply #173 on: January 18, 2008, 15:10:40 pm »
jabuti, I just wanted to let you know that I know what you feel about crying 2 hours in the evening.  My lo use to cry 2-4 hours from 3 weeks old to about 4 months in the evening because of colic and then it was crying during the day as I was trying to have her sleep.  Let me tell you that you want to pull all your hair and you get mad by time, crying other time and just plain tired.  But hang in there, it will come better.  You will see that your lo will become joyful (even when tired).

For the first time in months, Emily was able to fall asleep by herself for her naps this morning (took 1 hour playing in her crib) and she woke up after 30 min but fell back to sleep.   :)  Hope this continue.
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Offline jabuti

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Re: Support for Raising Spirited Babies
« Reply #174 on: January 19, 2008, 10:29:32 am »
it must have been hard for you! lara was never much of a crier, i think the shock was greater when she then started crying because of teething at 3 months, then OT in the last months...

im here to say that wake to sleep WORKED! IT WORKED! i stayed in the room with her from 6h50 (when she fell asleep) to 9 and was able to assist her when she was jolting around the end of each 45 min cycle. this morning i camped again in her room for her fist nap of the day, and for the first time ever she slept the recommended 2 hours!!!! we are so pleased!!!! i hope we and she can get the hang of it and not have to camp for too long, but i much prefer it than an OT baby!!! she seems much happier and more peaceful since we started EASY. now with all this sleep, it will be even better!

thank you for the support annie!!!

Offline maman_d_emily

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Re: Support for Raising Spirited Babies
« Reply #175 on: January 19, 2008, 10:45:41 am »
it was hard back then but now she is just lovely.  She is joyful and full of energy now. 

I'm really glad that wake to sleep worked.  I think it might take some time for her to be able to do it alone but she will get it.  Some babies get it before then others and also, more your gonna help her and she'll be less tired and more easy for her.  My dd has good naps most of the time and never had a real problem with naps but she sometimes get 30 min if I miss the good time to put her down for naps.  Can't be perfect all the time  :P   So don't worry after all the work that you will do that she might just get 30 min once in a while.

Annie
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Offline Neeenah

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Re: Support for Raising Spirited Babies
« Reply #176 on: January 21, 2008, 21:22:26 pm »
I am in the same boat, my LO is very spirited and a bit touchy too. She wants to go, go go. Trying so hard to crawl and always wants to be on her tummy. Even though she will fuss when she gets there...she always flips to her tummy. Anyway started the BW method on Friday. I AM Exhausted and have wanted to quit so many times. She was taking 20 min naps and waking every 3 hours at night. I had to do something.  We have seen some improvement but not a lot. It is day four..and I am hopeful. Here is her "attempted schedule"
7am UP and Feed - she sometimes gets up at 6 where I try I put her back down - almost impossible.
7:30-8:45 Activity
8:45 quite time
9a Nap (has been taking one hour with some pats from me - cries for about 20 min)
11a FEED
11:30-12:45 Activity
12:45 Quite time
1pm NAP (this one is tough, she will wake every 20 min..and fights so much to go back down)
3pm FEED
3:30-5 Activity
5 pm cat nap (1/2 hour)
5:30-6:45 Activity
6:45 Bath (she doesn't calm as much as others with this so I feed her after bath)
7pm BED
10pm Dream Feed
2am she wakes but puts herself back to sleep
3am wakes, fusses, then wails crying, I go in once that starts. She can't be comforted...buries her head in the sheet, tosses head back and forth, kicks legs. I finally get her to calm down with both PU/PD and shusshing. Saying it will be ok. She may fall asleep for 5 min then jerks awake even though I am holding her limbs. She is very very strong. This goes on till about 4-4:30a. Then she goes down, Back up at 5a and 6a....we are both so tired. I know she is overtired. Anything I can change/any advice. I am doing this all week....hoping that it all comes together for her.
 ;)

Offline maman_d_emily

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Re: Support for Raising Spirited Babies
« Reply #177 on: January 22, 2008, 00:27:51 am »
Hi Neeenah and lots of Hugs.  This is a difficult time and thing will get better soon if you stick to a routine.  How old is your lo? Depending on the age, maybe A time is too long.
Annie
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Offline maman_d_emily

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Re: Support for Raising Spirited Babies
« Reply #178 on: January 22, 2008, 00:41:15 am »
Neeenah, I just read your post on EASY forum.  I know you don't want to feed your lo in the middle of the night but my lo was waking at night at that age (and she had not done that for 2 months at least) and try to put her to bed and it took a long time every night and would wake up not long after.  So I decided to feed her after a few weeks of me going crazy and she was back to sleep in no time after the feed.  All along, she was hungry.  BF is different and sometimes they need extra at night.  In the waking at night thread, they told me they could be hungry after 5 hours of not eating at that age so maybe you could try feeding her at 3am (this been about 5 hours of not eating).  I think that she is hungry since it take her a long time to fall asleep and then she wake up at 5am and 6am.  Frequent waking indicate that she is hungry.  But if you feed her at 3am, don't feed her after that until the morning.  Even if your A time is good during the day, she might be OT from the lack of sleep at night. 
Annie 
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Offline jabuti

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Re: Support for Raising Spirited Babies
« Reply #179 on: January 22, 2008, 09:15:42 am »
i agree with annie, and thats exactly what my baby needs around 3h30/4. a 10 minutes feed and she is back to sleep.

neeenah, when you say 'activity' up to 6h45, does she have a good winding down session before bedtime? also, what has been working for me, is controlling very well her activity time by not estimulating her too much, what can happen very easily since she will embrace anything new.